TORONTO — Before the All-Star break, Patrick Roy said he wanted to know if Oliver Wahlstrom was just a good practice player or a player who could contribute to the lineup.
Heading into the Islanders’ first game after the hiatus, Roy likely thought he had enough to keep Wahlstrom getting shots.
Not only did the Islanders waive Julien Gauthier before Wahlstrom when they needed to take someone off the roster, but they also saw him in the third team along with Simon Holmstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau during Sunday’s practice. Judging by his slip on the line, it looks like Wahlstrom will be out. He will be in action again when the team resumes the season against the Maple Leafs on Monday night.
“I have time for him,” Roy told reporters after Sunday’s practice. “I’d like to know what his ceiling is and where he’s at. I think he’s a very good hockey player, so we’re going to do a lot of one-on-one work, but He needs to be more involved physically.
“And what I mean physically is he doesn’t have to kill a guy on the boards or do anything like this. More physically, I mean he doesn’t have to get body checked. I want him to move his feet and get out of one-on-one situations and beat him to the net. I want him to drive it more on the rush.”
If Wahlstrom can become an everyday part of the lineup under Roy’s tutelage, it could be something of a lifeline for his Islanders career.
Wahlstrom needs a change of pace after failing to tap into his potential under head coach Barry Trotz, falling out of favor under head coach Lane Lambert, and being a healthy scratch in all but 23 games this season. It looked like it might be necessary.
The 23-year-old signed a one-year deal last offseason, and while the Islanders will retain his rights as a restricted free agent this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising if they let him walk.
With the trade deadline approaching on March 8th, Wahlstrom also appeared to be expendable.
It may still happen. After all, he only played one game for Roy. But if the new head coach believes there’s something worth salvaging in Long Island’s Wahlstrom, the equation changes.
“When I was talking to Lou [Lamoriello] and other people before him too [knee] injury [in December 2022], he was playing very well on this team,” Roy said. “I want to give him a chance to get back in and I think he deserves it.”
Hudson Fasching (lower body) remains the same every day.
Assistant coach Benoît Desrosiers was on the ice for practice Sunday after taking over during the All-Star break. Roy said Desrosiers will work on faceoffs and assist on the penalty kill.
